The discussion below is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
The present disclosure relates to an applicator for use in applying a liquid to a selected location on a body of a living being. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an applicator that can be utilized to control an amount of liquid that is applied within an ear canal of a living being, such as a human being.
Many young children and occasionally adults experience problems with their inner ears, which is typically caused by liquid pooling within the middle ear. The pooled liquid provides a growth medium for bacteria, which leads to ear infections that can cause severe pain. In order to keep liquid from building up within the middle ear, one option is to insert a vent tube into the tympanic membrane or eardrum that provides the necessary drainage to prevent the buildup of liquid and allow for drainage of the present liquid, and therefore, allowing the infection to resolve.
In order to be able to insert the vent tube through the ear canal, the tympanic membrane or eardrum is incised for the placement of the vent tube. To minimize the amount of discomfort and pain to the person having the vent tube insertion procedure, the tympanic membrane or eardrum is typically numbed prior to the incision where general anesthesia is otherwise not required. A typical numbing solution is phenol. As phenol is a dangerous compound, it is beneficial to control the amount and exposure to phenol to both the patient as well as the medical personnel.